Green Eyed Girl
by HM64Girl
Summary: [ CHAPTER 11 IS UP -- NOW COMPLETE! ] Escaping the sadness of his mother's death and his unhappiness in the city, Jack moves to Flower Bud Village. He falls for a mysterious girl (Karen) at first sight. HM64 Fic. Please review!
1. Who's That Girl?

Sitting on the front porch, Jack admired his days' work. All the grass fields plowed, the plants watered, and half the land cleared of weeds. He looked down at his calloused hands, and wondered if the work was actually worth it. His grandfather had left him the farm and he desperately wanted to bring it back to glory, but he wasn't receiving much revenue. He was afraid of spending his life in debt. 

The sun was becoming orange in the sky when he saw two figures enter his farm. 

"Hello!" said one. It was a blonde woman wearing overalls. _She's attractive_, thought Jack as he rose from his seat. Behind her was a brunette woman with big green eyes. He was fixated by her. He had been in the village for five days and had yet to see her stunning beauty. He had a soft spot for green eyes, and the orange sun shone beautifully on her brown hair. 

"My name's Ann," the blonde one said as Jack approached. The brunette skulked modestly in the background. Jack wanted to inquire about her, but was interrupted by his own modesty. 

"I've come here to offer you a horse," said Ann. "My father owns the Green Farm, and a calf was born last season." 

Jack smiled. Ann seemed to be talkative but he was still captivated by the mysterious brunette. "How much would it cost?" he asked, half eyeing the brunette. 

"No charge. We just want to see it grow up to be a strong horse. We've no room for another horse," she replied. 

Jack looked down at his feet. "I can't accept a horse without some form of payment." 

"Of course you can," said Ann. "I'll bring him over tomorrow." Before he could say another word, she and her companion were already gone. The brunette looked over her shoulder before going out of sight, and Jack waved stupidly. He shook his head and walked back up to the porch. Grabbing his dog he went into his house for dinner. 

The next morning Ann caught him plowing the fields. Her brunette companion was no where to be seen. Beside Ann was a shoulder high brown horse. Jack walked up to it and petted it on the nose. 

"Here you go. He likes to be petted and brushed. When he gets older you can train him to ride," Ann said matter-of-factly. 

"And you want nothing in return?" Jack said skeptically. 

"Exactly." 

"Seems too much of a bargain. I feel like I owe you one," he said. 

"Well, then, maybe you can repay me sometime," she said with a wink and walked off. Jack stood dumb-founded, but eventually went back to work. 


	2. The Flower Festival

Jack spent his days on the farm, rarely leaving, for he wanted to get the farm up and running as soon as possible. The few times he did visit the town during the spring, he had seen nothing of the beautiful green eyed girl. Even when he ventured to the Green Farm to talk to Ann she was never there. He had assumed they were friends because of their visit to his farm. He had met a few other girls around the town, but none compared to the mysterious brunette. 

He worked on his farm until the Flower Festival in late spring. It would be his first day off, and he was anxious to see if she would be there. He could not believe the small obsession he had over this girl with whom he'd never shared a word. Something about her green eyes cried out to him. She looked profound, and the last glance as she left his farm made him believe that she could possibly be attracted to him. 

He dressed in his nicest clothes, and when he left the house he thought he looked generally good. The dirt was still buried in his calluses, but he doubted that it would ever leave. He gazed over at his horse wishing that it was old enough to ride, but then began the walk alone. 

When he reached the festival, he was almost immediately bombarded by Zack, the carrier, whom he talked with every night at produce pick up. They had become good friends. Jack had not been able to befriend any of the younger men in town because he spent most of his time on the farm. 

"You got a special girl picked out for the dance?" asked Zack slyly. 

A light went off in Jack's head. He had not known about the dancing. He was slightly afraid his two left feet would stab him in the back. "I haven't really thought about it," he said. He considered telling him about the brunette. 

"Well, you seem to know Ann the best. Is there anything there?" 

"Well…" Jack trailed off. "There is a girl. Problem is I don't know her name. She's gorgeous." 

"Aha," said Zack knowingly. "You must be talking about Karen." Finally hearing her name was a blessing to Jack. "The most beautiful girl in the town if you ask me. Her family owns the vineyard. You can see her at the bar every night. She's a spry one, quick-witted. Very independent. If I was your age, I would be intimidated to talk to her, but her beauty would draw me in. I say give it a go, but be careful." 

At this, Jack began searching the crowd for sight of Karen's brown hair and slender body. He did not see her. He began to panic as the time for dancing was near. Still searching the crowd, he finally found her leaning against the opposite wall and almost melted at her beauty. He was fantasizing about asking her to dance, and had almost lost himself in it, when a tall, dark man came up to her. He put his arms around her, and kissed her cheek. Jack was stunned. 

"Zack, who's that man over there with her?" he asked. 

Zack leaned over just enough to see past the bodies of the gathering crowd through to the other side. "That's Kai," he said simply. "A real smooth talker, that fellow. He works at the vineyard. I don't like him at all." 

Jack's heart sunk. He'd lost his dazzling green eyed beauty to a jerk. Then, shaking his head, he came back to reality. He decided he shouldn't feel that he lost her, as he has never won anything by her. She had never been his, and she had free range to choose whomever she wanted. He scanned the crowd for Ann, and found her talking to Rick, her cousin. He walked over to her with confidence. 

"Hi," he said. She turned on her heel and gave him a huge grin. 

"Hello!" she said. "Are you having a good time?" 

"Oh, yes. I was wondering," he said, "if you'd like to dance with me when the couples' song comes on?" 

Without a pause, she accepted. 

When the time came for the dance, Jack and Ann held each other awkwardly. Barely knowing her accounted for part of that, and trying to maintain an eye on Karen and Kai added to it too. During a lull in their conversation, Jack managed to catch Karen's gaze. They held each other's eyes for a moment, and Jack smiled. She, red faced, turned the other way. 

As night approached, Jack became more and more bold. Ann was by his side, but he ventured to find Karen. He looked all over the square, peering through crowds of people, but did not see her. He searched a while longer and had just given up when he saw her leaving with Kai. 


	3. Horses and Brine

Yay! I got reviews! Thanks! Most seem to favor Jack and Ann. I wonder if that will be the case. Guess we'll just have to find out ^_^ Sorry it's taken me so long to update. School's started back and it's going to be a tough semester, but anyways… on to the goods! 

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One week and a season change later, Jack was busy cutting down his spring crops in preparation to plant his summer ones. He systematically cut down nine potato plants, and then tossed tomato seeds and watered them. He still hadn't had any time to socialize, and he began to think maybe he was working a little too hard. All work and no play can lead to unhappiness, and Jack had come to Flower Bud Village to find the opposite. He had spent the Fireworks Festival at the Green Farm with Ann. She seemed to be a sweet girl and she was attractive. He hadn't seen Karen around town, but that was okay. She apparently was dating Kai. Besides, he had Ann there to talk to and he had grown quite fond of her. Maybe this friendship could become love. 

Speak of the devil; Ann was standing in front of his house patiently awaiting his attention. Beside her was a big horse, He assumed it was Cliffgard, her beloved stallion. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow. He wished he could take a shower before talking to her. He'd been working on the farm, plowing fields and weeding, since the break of dawn. 

"Jack!" she called out happily. "Are you done with your work?" He tried to wipe his dirt covered hands on his shirt, but this was in vain as his shirt was covered in dirt too. He smoothed his hair down and readjusted his hat. 

"Done enough," he said as he approached her. "What's up?" 

"I was just wondering if you wanted to take a horse ride with me. The mountains are really beautiful during the summer." She smiled up at him, and Jack just couldn't say no. Not that he wanted to, but it would've been impossible if he did. He grabbed the reigns of his young horse, and pulled it alongside Cliff. Jack helped Ann onto her horse, though she really didn't need it, and as soon as he jumped on his, they were off. 

Ann was right. The mountains were beautiful in summer. The two chatted friendly as the horses click-clocked through the trees. They paused by a big tree at the edge of a cliff so their horses could graze. A few rare blue birds perched in the great tree, and Ann excitedly pointed at them. Jack smiled and laughed at her excitement. For a while they tied their horses to that tree and lay in the green grass, gazing up at the late afternoon clouds, all the while laughing at how the clouds resembled the Mayor. Time moved faster than suspected and soon the sun was amber in the sky. It was nearing five o'clock. As he was peering at the sky, he heard Ann laugh to herself. 

"What's so funny?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She looked over at him with a genuine look of euphoria. 

"I'm just happy. I love being here on a summer's evening. With you," she said. He felt the softness of her eyes and couldn't help but smile. 

"I had a good time," he said, the smile still curling on his lips. They held each other's eyes a minute more, and then Ann said she should probably get home. They headed towards home, though Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to leave or not. As they were approaching Green Ranch, Jack glanced out at the beach. There sitting by the crashing waves was Karen. 

"Oh, no," Ann said, peering at the site, obviously concerned. Jack questioned about it. "She must've had another fight with her father." 

"Will she be okay out there alone?" he asked. Ann nodded. 

"She's out there more often than not. Her father's an alcoholic. How fitting that he should own the Vineyard. I know she'd rather be out there alone." With that Ann rode on by without another word. 

Jack said good bye to her, but his curiosity wouldn't let him leave Karen out there by herself. He dropped his horse off at the farm, and then headed back to the beach. The site of her so vulnerable made him sad. She was melancholically facing the waves. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, and her figure was silhouetted against the dying daylight reflecting off the waves. 

He had gone over and over what he would say to her the first time they spoke and had never settled on the right thing. He managed the best thing he could think of. "Hello," he said, cautiously. Karen jumped with a start and then, huffily put her head on her knees. 

"Hi," she said quietly. 

"I saw you out here alone, and thought you might want some company." He walked to the edge of the water and looked out across the horizon. The sun was still barely in the sky. 

"I don't," she said simply. 

"Okay," Jack said softly, and then he too sat down. For a moment there was a silence pregnant with unease. Jack tossed around in his head things to say. Witty things, flirty things, nice things. 

"Go away," she said as she got up and walked away from him. 

"Free country," he said, tossing a piece of driftwood at the waves. 

She crossed her arms with a sigh and walked further away. Jack was curious of her character. He could already tell the diversity between her and Ann. Though they were friends, Karen seemed to be more standoffish. Ann was always a bundle of cheerfulness. It was nice to feel the other side of the spectrum. Another pause filled the shore. A few minutes passed, and the sun disappeared from the sky. 

"You ever wonder what's out there?" he asked, still playing with the driftwood at his feet. She didn't answer his question, but instead sat across the shore with her back to him. 

"I came from a small town, but I always loved the city. Though, here I am, in a small town again. I like it very much here." Jack trailed off. The silence was lonely, and his lips curled into a small frown. He missed his family for a small moment. 

"I love the city too," Karen said, opening to him a little bit, it seemed. 

"So why are you here, then?" he questioned. 

She paused. "Don't talk to me so much," she said. Jack took this as the cue to end the conversation. He got up, and headed for the exit. At the last minute, he turned around to see Karen looking back at the sea. 

"Oh," he said, reaching into his knapsack, "I found these in the mountains. Thought you might like them. Nice talking to you." She turned around and watched as he placed a bundle of wild grapes by the exit. He left without seeing the small grin that played on her lips. 


	4. Going to Town

The sun split through the curtains on Jack's windows and splashed over his worn face. He didn't want to get out of bed. Thoughts of the night before, his first meeting with Karen, made his sleep unstable. He constantly woke up with visions of her intense green eyes filled with emotion. Compared to the other girls of the town, Karen seemed bluntly honest and real. None of the other girls in the town were as in tune with the ups and downs of life, besides perhaps Elli, who'd lost her parents when she was younger. Karen, though, wouldn't paint the depravities of life with a silver lining, but then again she wouldn't get bogged down in their depression. Ann was always optimistic and Jack had never seen her less than beaming. He felt that people like her must have some sort of inner demon, or they wouldn't try to appear so happy. 

Glancing at his wall clock, Jack realized it was seven o'clock. He wasn't worried about getting started with work late or feeling exhausted at the end of the day. His thoughts of Karen were comforting him, and though he was working on very little sleep, he was efficient and finished his chores faster than he had ever before. This early finish gave him time to explore the town and begin to converse with his neighbors. He changed out of his dirty clothes, and attempted to smooth down the cowlick in his hair. It was stubborn though and chose to remain pointing straight up out of his hat. He decided he would visit the shops in town. 

Stepping back into the summer sunshine, and smelling the fresh air, he decided a nice walk to town would calm his aching muscles. Throwing on his knapsack again, he locked the door to his house and started out. Upon leaving the farm, he ran into Harris, the mailman. 

"Harris! How are you?" he said in passing. 

"Doing good, Jack. I just happen to have a letter here for you," he replied. Jack turned around, and curiously looked at it. He pulled it from Harris's hand and said his thanks. Harris went on to the Green Ranch, leaving Jack standing at the cross roads outside of town wondering about the unexpected letter. He examined the outside and found no return address. _They probably don't even use return addresses here_, thought Jack, and yet all his letters from the mayor about festivals were written on special paper. This was definitely not a letter from him. He sliced the envelope open, and out fell a small piece of paper, which eluded Jack's grasping hands and landed on the ground. He bent over to pick it up, slowly shaking the dirt off of it. When Jack was finally able to read it, he was astounded. The little piece of paper had a simple "Thanks…" written on it in scrawling cursive. There was no signature and no return address. It brought up questions in his mind because it could be from anybody. But who would be thanking him? Certainly it had to be either Ann or Karen, and out of those two Ann seemed to be the most courteous. Karen, he knew, had hated his presence at the beach last night, whereas Ann loved the horse ride. He took the letter back to his house, stuck it in the drawer on his night stand, and headed back out to town. 

His first stop was Lillia's flower shop. He needed to purchase some more tomato seeds. He pushed open the door while admiring the flowers planted underneath the windows. When he looked into the room, he saw Lillia and her daughter Popuri standing together behind the desk, talking. Both of them had their pink hair pulled up; like mother, like daughter. 

"Hello," he said, when they seemed to not notice his presence. They looked over surprised, and both chimed greetings. Lillia nudged Popuri and whispered something in her ear. He walked over to the seed counter, and then Popuri came and stood beside him. 

"Can I help you with anything?" she said sweetly, her pink eyes beaming up at him. 

"I'm just getting some more tomato seeds," he said. 

"Would you like to try any corn seeds? They take longer to grow, but you can make more money off of them." 

_A nearly perfect sales pitch_, Jack thought, but instead said, "No, I think I'm going to stick to tomatoes this year. It is my first summer after all." 

"Oh, well that's okay," she said. "We also have Moondrop Flower seeds, if you would like to make your farm pretty." She batted her long eyelashes and smiled at him. 

"Well, Popuri, I would but I don't have enough money to waste on flowers." He immediately realized he had worded that a little harsh. Her smile went to a frown, and her eyes grew almost two sizes larger. They were angry. 

"Flowers are not a waste!" she started. "How dare you say such a thing!" 

"Popuri, calm down," Lillia interjected. 

"Flowers are beautiful and they are only around in the spring and summer. You should cherish them. They make life so much happier!" She crossed her arms and walked over to the flower seeds. 

"I'm so sorry," Lillia said, taking Jack over to the cash register so he could pay for the tomato seeds. "I sometimes wonder if she likes flowers _too_ much." 

Jack was about to say it was no problem, when in from the other room came Basil, Popuri's father. 

"How's my beautiful daughter doing, huh?" he asked excitedly, throwing his arms around her, and lifting her up in the air. She scrambled, out of his arms, complaining, and ran out of the store. Basil, hurt, looked around, and then saw Jack standing at the register. 

"Well, hi Jack," he said as his face turned to red. Jack quickly finished paying for his seeds, and hurried out of the store. 

Determined to avoid another lecture, he headed to the bakery. He was hungry for a midday snack. Weaving around the bushes, he politely said hello to Ellen, the old woman who owned the bakery and always commented on how he looked like his Grandpappy. He entered the door to see Elli and the Mayor's wife chatting. Jeff looked lonely behind the register, so Jack weaved around the ladies, and went to talk to him. His face brightened up at the sight of a costumer. 

"Hi, Jack, what'll it be?" he asked. 

"A cake would be great," Jack responded. Jeff spoke of the bakery's tea as he cut a slice of cake. He rambled on for almost five minutes, and as soon as he was done, Jack rushed out of the bakery. First he'd been lectured, and then almost had his ear talked off. Jeff was a nice guy, though. He at least didn't get mad if you slightly insulted tea. 

Jack munched on his cake and decided he'd had enough of the town for the day. He stopped by the farm to get his fishing rod and then walked out to the mountains. He fished for a while at the fishing pond, making casual conversation with Greg, the fisherman, but then decided to head up to the Carpenter's house to see how far away he was from getting a house extension. 

Finding that he'd need several hundred more dollars and pieces of wood, he left the house laughing at himself for even thinking he might be close. He didn't look up in time to see that he was about to run into someone, and thus bowled into them. 

"Hey! Watch it!" said a female voice that was followed by a thud. 

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry!" Jack said, again without looking. He held out his hand, and then realized it was Karen he had knocked over. She stared at his hand for a moment, seemingly wondering if she should take her attacker's offer. She then cautiously slid her hand into his. He pulled her up, all the while being careful, for nothing seemed as profound to him as to have her hand in his. 

When she was finally on her feet, she smiled, and began to say something. Then, as if she had remember something, she shook her head and said, "You ought to be more careful." She then stomped off. 

"Karen! Come back, I'm sorry!" he said, his hand still relishing the memory of hers in it. He sat down by the river, then, and tossed a line in. He stayed there until nightfall trying to figure out that strange yet beautiful girl 


	5. A Night at the Bar

I debated putting this part in the story this early, but I had already written it to go here and couldn't think of something to happen before it. So here it is. Enjoy! Let me know what you think! Thanks again for all the reviews! 

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Not quite ready to go home that night, Jack decided to drink away the memory of Karen's touch, along with the fear that he may never feel it again. He would also have a chance to talk with the other bachelors of the town, and he felt he needed a break from the bachelorettes. The dark, silent town was ominous, but as he got closer to the bar, he heard the sounds of beer taps and talking men. When he pushed the door open he was greeted by Jeff and Harris. They were sitting at a table with Kai and Gray, the other two men his age that he hadn't talked to. He ordered a beer from the bartender, and sat down with them. 

"Come to forget girl problems, Jack?" asked Harris, taking a big swig of his drink. 

"Ha, how'd you guess? You too?" Jack replied. 

"Well, most of us. So who've you got your eye on?" 

"Oh, well, I can't say, really… Just girls in general…" He cast his eyes towards his hands. He didn't want to say because Kai was sitting across the table. 

Harris's eyes narrowed, as if he saw through Jack's lie, but then he said, "Lucky you. I'm interested in Ms. Maria, but I just don't know how to tell her." 

Jack just nodded and turned to Gray and Kai. "I'm Jack," he said. "I'm fixing up the old farm." 

"So I've heard," said Gray, turning his gaze away. 

"Yeah, we've heard," said Kai. "So how's it working out for you?" 

Jack was surprised by his friendly question. Perhaps he had jumped to conclusions when Zack had said something at the Flower Festival. "It's hard work, that's for sure. Things are looking up, though, I've finally gotten the field cleared and some extra money in my pocket." 

A few more minutes passed, and then Kai excused himself from the table. He went behind the bar and kneeled down. Jack was curious about what he was doing, but before he could question it, Kai was up and out of the bar. 

"Hey, Duke, did you forget Jack's drink?" called Jeff to the bartender. 

"Nope, got a stubborn waitress," he replied, chuckling, and looked down behind the bar where Kai had just been. Kai must've been talking to the waitress. 

Jack looked across the bar at some of the other customers. Zack was there, along with Ann's father, and a man he didn't know. The rest of the tables were empty, and an austere quiet hung on them. Suddenly, his beer was placed beside his arm. He looked up at the waitress to see, low and behold, that it was Karen. She was glaring down at him. 

"Are you following me, or something?" she asked, defensively. 

"Can't a guy get a drink?" Jack said. He wanted to say more, be a little angry, but her green eyes were already working their magic. 

"Yeah, but you can't go around knocking people over and invading their space." 

"What?" Jack stood up. The whole bar was now watching the two. "The beach is not just your space, and I apologized for running into you." 

"Well I just find it odd that you keep showing up—" 

"And I find it odd that every time I talk you, you go out of your way to be rude." 

She was silent for a moment. "I—can't help that—" 

"Oh, yeah? I'm sure you can't. Well I can't help being nice, so maybe you should just not say anything, rather than be so rude." 

"Maybe you deserve to be treated poorly. I've barely even talked to you before, and here you are yelling at me!" 

"I've tried to get you to talk to me, but you just ignore me and tell me to go away!" 

"If you had any idea…! If you knew…! You should just leave me alone!" 

"Well then I guess I was wrong about you." 

"Wrong about _me_?" 

"Yeah, I thought you were worth getting to know!" 

She stared at him, her eyes bulging with anger. "Duke, get me a shot!" she said, red faced, and plodding to the bar. 

"Get me one, too," Jack said, following her, infuriated. 

"Oh, yeah? Give me two," she said, turning to Duke. 

"Three! I'll take three!" At that Karen whirled around. There was a red anger in her eyes. 

"You think you can out-drink me, Farm Boy?" she whispered severely. 

"Bring it on," Jack said. 

And so it began. The people in the bar had formed a circle with the dueling drinkers in the middle. Every shot was cheered on. Duke continued to throw shots of liquor in front of them. With everyone Jack drank up, and stared intensely at Karen. How did this ever get started? He'd talked to her for the first time, with such tenderness, last night, and now here he was attempting to drink her under the table. He had said terrible things about her, and he didn't even know her. He wasn't really angry at her at all. Maybe a little hurt, but not angry. He'd come too far to quit now, though. 

"You can hold your alcohol pretty well," Karen said after the fourth shot. She looked a little nervous, but that sly grin was still playing on her lips. Jack didn't say anything, but instead inhaled another shot, and slammed the glass down on the table. He was beginning to get blurry, and if he was counting correctly, there were two Karens now in front of him. There was no way he could out-drink two of them! Two more shots did him in, and he passed out looking into Karen's striking green eyes. 

The next morning he awoke with a horrible hang over. The sun shining in through the blinds was yet again unwelcome. _Remember to board up the window_, he thought to himself. Every ray that hit his eyes sent a sharp pain through his head, where a intense headache was raging. He held his hand over his eyes, as he attempted to get out of bed. 

"Where do you think you're going?" It was Karen. What was she doing in his house at this time of morning? He looked over at his clock and saw that it said 12:00pm. 

"Oh no!" he said, jumping out of the bed really fast. Bad idea. His headache caused a dizziness that sent him straight to the floor. Karen was busy mixing something, so he was forced to pull himself up. "What are you doing here?" he complained. 

"Knew you'd have the hang over from hell, felt sort of bad, thought I'd come over and help you out. Get back in bed; you'll get sick all over the place if you stand too much." 

Jack did so, and remained silent. He pressed his pounding temples and vowed in his mind to never drink again. He gazed over at Karen, still not fully understanding why she was here and why she was being so friendly. Though the headache was a killer, he still wished he could jump out of bed real fast, put on nice clothes, and lick his hair down to look presentable. He wanted to impress Karen, but a drinking game, he learned, wasn't the best idea. He watched her mixing a gold looking substance in a jar. Her soft hands were firmly holding a stirring spoon, and she had pulled her hair back with a handkerchief to keep it out of her way. 

When she finished, she walked over to his bed. "This is honey wine," she said. 

Jack automatically shook his head. "Nope, no more alcohol," he said, his stomach feeling queasy at the thought of it. 

"Relax," she said. Her green eyes caught hold of his. "This will give you enough of a buzz to forget the headache and still be able to walk a straight line." 

Those sweet greens were overcoming him again. He nodded, and drank up. When he finished, he said, "Look, I'm sorry about all the things I said about you, and starting the drinking game, and all that." 

"Oh no—" 

"Yes, I never thought you were rude. I just didn't think before I spoke." 

She shook her head. "I was rude. That's true." 

"Well, why are you being so nice now?" 

"Don't get too spoiled," she said, flashing that sly grin. "I just thought I'd help out a drinker almost as good as me. Besides, Kai isn't around to get jealous." 

Jack's heart dropped. He hoped that maybe her change of heart was because she had become interested in him. Karen took the jar from him, and pulled the handkerchief off of her hair. Her brown locks fell around her face, framing it perfectly. 

"Well, I've got to be off. You just rest until that headache is gone. Then feel free to do whatever." 

Jack smiled at her, despite that the thought of her and Kai was ripping him up inside. She turned to leave without saying goodbye, but on a notion, she turned around and smiled at him. 

"Okay, okay," she said, "I'll see you later." 


	6. A Day Full of Surprises

A few days later, Jack was enjoying awaking without the sun crashing his dreams. He had managed to force the shutters closed, and he'd been able to sleep better, despite some lingering dreams. Most consisted of him and Karen dancing and laughing. He hadn't seen her at all since the day she stopped by to take care of him. It felt odd to him that he could actually talk to her in real life, and she wouldn't be so aloof. Nonetheless, Jack had risen every morning and worked productively every day until mid-afternoon, when he would go in search of Karen in the woods. He was making a great profit off the tomato plants, and had cash to burn. He found himself in the bakery, chatting with Elli and Jeff almost every afternoon. He'd tried to avoid Popuri as much as he could. He feared he'd get another talking to about flowers, and while he did feel they made a place more comfortable, he didn't want to hear about them every waking minute. He had also, luckily, not seen Ann. He was afraid of what she would think when she found out about the night at the bar. Would she be mad at him? Probably. But, not rightfully. After all, they did not own each other. They were simply two people who entertained an afternoon away as friends—or was it more than just friends? Ann had said she "loved" being there with him. Did that imply something? She had also sent that strange thank you letter. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knock on the door. Wondering who it could be this early, he jumped out of his seat at the table and went to find out. He opened the door to find a tattered man. He noted the man's hiking clothes, and that there was a large bird perching on his dog house. 

"I'm so hungry…" said the man. Jack could tell this was true by the bags under his eyes. 

"Come inside," he said. He led the man to a seat around the table. Jack pulled out some of his breakfast rice balls, and handed them to the man. The man ate quickly, though impolitely, and cleaned up after himself. 

"Thank you so much," he said. "I'm Cliff." 

"And I'm Jack," he replied, shaking his hand. "Are you new around here?" 

"Cain and I just arrived. We hike all over the place by foot." Noting the questioning look on Jack's face, Cliff added, "Cain's my pet falcon. We would've gone fishing in the mountains, but I just couldn't make it all the way up there." 

"I'm reasonably new here, too," Jack said. "I moved here in early spring. It's nice here, even though it's a bit small." 

"I probably won't be here for long," he said. "Cain and I like to move around. We get tired of a place if we stay there for too long." 

Jack nodded. "I can believe it." 

Not wasting any time, Cliff said, "Well, I'm going to head on up to the mountains. Don't want to waste any more of your time than I have to," and let himself out. Jack began cleaning up the table, but then heard a thud similar to the sound of Karen falling. He ran outside to see Ann on the ground, and Cliff standing above her. 

"You should pay attention to where you're walking!" Ann said, kicking her feet on the ground. Cliff just stared at her, managed a small apology, and then ran out towards the mountains. 

Jack was slightly afraid of what Ann might be at his farm for. He knew she was here to yell at him for the bar incident. _No way_, Jack thought, _we're friends. She could just be stopping by_. He headed over to her, and helped her off the ground. Her overalls were covered in dirt. He wondered why, every time someone fell on his farm, they were covered in dirt. Lack of rain, perhaps? 

"Who was that, Jack?" she asked, dusting herself off. 

"His name's Cliff. Apparently he's just passing through." 

"I hope so. What a strange guy. Anyway, the reason I'm here. Gray told me about the thing at the bar the other night." 

He knew it. 

He was going to get it now. He closed his eyes to prepare for the yelling, and expected to see glaring red eyes look up at him if he opened them. He eventually peaked, and saw nothing but the normal, happy blue eyes surrounded in an orangey blonde frizz. 

"Uh, yeah," he said, slightly blushing. What was he going to say? 

"I just wanted to say—" she began. "Well, Jack, I thought better of you." 

_Oh no_, Jack thought, _she hates me._

"So, you're a drunk? I would've never guessed. You give off this impression of being a good person, but you go out and get drunk." 

"It's not something I do every night, Ann, or every month for that matter," Jack said. 

"Yeah, but you did it in front of my father. That's _smart_!" 

Jack had forgotten that he had been there. 

"He hasn't said anything about it, Jack. Maybe he passes it off as something every young guy does, but if he knew you were my boyfriend, he wouldn't be too happy." Ann crossed her arms. 

"Boyfriend?" Jack asked suddenly, his face scrunching up in a look of confusion. 

"Yes. He wants me—" 

"Boyfriend?!" He said aloud again. "Ann all we did was go out for a horse ride, how does that make me your boyfriend?" 

"But we danced at the Flower Festival… and you came to the ranch to watch fireworks…" she trailed off. For the first time, Jack saw something other than happiness in Ann's eyes. It was a look of pain. 

"I like you a lot," he said, grabbing onto her shoulder, "but we're just friends, aren't we?" 

She averted her glance to the ground and remained silent. "How could you lead me on like that…?" 

"Lead you on?! Ann, _you_ invited me to the ranch for the fireworks, _you_ invited me to go horse riding. _You're_ my friend, so of course I want to do these things with you." 

She shook her shoulder out of his grasp, and looked up at him. One small tear escaped from her eye, and she turned and ran out of his farm. He felt terrible. How could he not see that Ann was taking things more seriously than he was? How could he break her happy little heart like that? He felt like a heartless jerk, though this incident was hardly his fault. He glanced over to his fields. The corn plant he had planted, after much encouragement from Zack, had grown a single ear of corn. 

Later that day, Jack had ventured to Green Ranch. He felt so guilty about the events earlier in the day that he wanted to somehow make it up to Ann. He didn't want to tie himself to her, but he wanted to at least repair the friendship they had. He saw that she was standing in the field along with Gray, as usual. Jack timidly stepped into the grass, said hello to Gray, and approached Ann. 

"Hey," he said, softly. She turned around, a dismal look on her face. Jack's heart dropped. Seeing that saddened look in her once cheerful eyes for the second time hurt more than the first. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry." 

She said nothing, but nodded in response. 

"I brought you this," he said, revealing something from his knapsack, "I know this can't nearly compensate, but I knew you liked corn, and the corn plant I planted could be harvested today." 

Her lips curled into a coy grin. She took the corn and examined it. "I guess I shouldn't get too bogged down in it," she said, smiling wider. "Nothing's better than being in good spirits!" 

He was surprised by her reaction. "So things are all right?" 

She nodded. "Ironically, I was going to break up with you for getting drunk. But I guess since we weren't dating in the first place, it saved me the trouble." She shrugged. Jack smiled. She _was_ cute and he _could_ see himself dating her, but not anytime soon. Not until he knew whether he had a chance with Karen. 

As Jack exited the ranch, he glanced over at the beach. Looking at the waves made him think of the night he first talked to Karen. He thought he was so close to breaking through her veneer. In reality, he was much farther than he could ever imagine. Looking closer at the beach he saw her. She was dancing and she was beautiful. It made his heart ache. With every twirl and twist her hair flew in a parachute around her, billowing down and landing messily in her face. Her eyes were closed in a look of euphoria. 

He'd never seen Karen look happier than she did that afternoon on the beach. He couldn't help but smile. 

She paused her dancing for a moment, and looked up to see him watching her. A look of embarrassment came over her face. Jack was afraid to go near her, but she'd spied him and he felt he should. As he approached, her face turned redder. Jack kicked off his shoes and stepped barefoot into the warm sand. 

"Hi," he said, walking closer. 

She turned on her look of defensiveness and said, "You shouldn't spy on people." 

Jack laughed. He couldn't help it. Here he was thinking that maybe she'd be a little bit nicer to him, but, ironically, no matter how nice he was it seemed she would never accept him into her heart. 

"Sorry," she added quietly. 

"Oho, what's this?" Jack asked, laughing again. "Karen's being friendly?" 

A tiny smirk teased her lips. "Like I said, don't get too spoiled." 

Jack smiled. He couldn't seem to keep that goofy smile off his face when he was around her. "You're a beautiful dancer—Err… I mean you dance beautifully." He blushed slightly, but hardly enough to notice. His heart was racing. 

"Thanks," she said. "Maybe I'll teach you sometime." 

Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That'd be great, but what would Kai think?" 

"Kai doesn't have to know…" she trailed off, and walked down the edge of the waves. Jack followed, being lured by the soft, sneaky grin on her face. He was hanging off every glance he got from her. "Summer is halfway gone," she said with a tone of sad excitement. 

"Fall must be beautiful here," he said, delicately, not taking his eyes of her searching gaze. What was she searching for in the horizon? What was eluding her? 

"With fall comes the harvest of the grapes," she said plainly. "Another failed harvest." 

"Failed?" He had always heard such good things about the local vineyard. The idea of a failed harvest threw him off. 

"Our wine is so much different than my Grandmother's was. I don't know why. We use the same grapes… but it's different." 

Jack didn't know what to say. He wanted to encourage her, but the words were escaping him. The sea wind began to blow, and sailing on it were the whispers of memories; memories of the city, his friends, and the death of his mother. Staring at the sea always did this to him. He looked away. 

Suddenly an idea came to him. 

"I'd like to stay here all day, Karen," he said, "but I need to get back to the farm." 

She turned away to see his back to her. "Okay," she said. 

He started to walk off, but when he stopped to put his shoes back on, Karen said something that made him extremely happy. "I come out here every Sunday," she said. "You can join me again sometime." 

His heart jumped into his throat, and he cracked a huge grin. "Okay," he said, nodding, trying to play down his happiness. "Goodbye." 

She waved, and turned back to the sea. Jack rushed back to the farm, his idea pounding in his brain. 

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Well, what'd you think?? I know it's a lot longer than the previous chapters. I've been out of school for the past four days because of snow so I had plenty of time to work on this fic. I actually finished it, and the finished product will have 11 chapters (the 11th is a short epilogue). I _really_ like it, and I'm excited to see what you think!! 


	7. A Brilliant Idea

Enjoy! 

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An hour later, Jack rushed into the mountains. If the legends were true, he had come up with a great idea. He hurried past the carpenters' house, quickly waving as he went by. He pushed through a thicket of trees and bushes, and revealed what he had hoped he could find. There, canopied from the hot summer sun, was the twinkling and legendary Goddess Pond. His heart began to beat faster. If this didn't work, then the legends of generations were untrue, and he would never think of any other way… 

Without thinking another thought, he pulled a bundle of tomatoes from his pocket and threw them into the middle of the pond. He waited. The air was still and full of a silence that was pressing in on him. There were no birds or animals. He would've suspected everything dead had there not been flowers and trees and grass. The part of woods was completely shadowed, and Jack imagined visiting here on a rainy day. How wonderful it would be to sit under the canopy and watch the rain fall barely a few feet away. Suddenly the waters parted, and a beautiful woman with green hair floated above the surface. 

"A worshipper!" she said, delighted. "Not many people make offerings anymore." 

Jack was stunned. Deep in his heart he had believed it wouldn't work. But it had and there was the Goddess in front of him. She was different than anything he had ever seen before. What she wore was nothing like what the girls wore at the Flower Festival—this was more of a white, silk shawl. Her eyes were a green—not like Karen's eyes—more like a forest green. The spirit of nature sparkled in her eyes and she truly did look like a goddess. 

"Well, don't just stand there! What would you like to wish for?" 

"Err—" he began, but was still lost for words. An impatient look came upon the Goddess's face, and he feared she would no longer grant his request. Quickly, he blurted it out. "I was wondering if there was something you could do to help the vineyard prosper." 

She stared at him blankly. "That's the Grape Spirit's job." 

"Yes, but something must be wrong. The vineyard hasn't done well in decades." 

The Goddess stroked her chin in thought. She floated around as if pacing with her chin still in her hand. She remained like that for a minute or so until she came upon an epiphany. "Come," she said, grabbing onto Jack's wrist. Suddenly, by some form of magic, they were transported to an old dead tree at the edge of the vineyard. He'd actually never visited the vineyard before. It was much different than he expected. He didn't really know what he expected to see. The Goddess had hovered over beside the tree and was examining it. It was a menacing tree that loomed some thirty feet in the air. The base was thick, and unlike all the other trees in Flower Bud Village, it had no leaves. Seeing a once great tree sitting alone, dead, was a very depressing sight. The Goddess muttered to herself. "It looks dead—can't be—then there'd be no way to save—maybe it's sleeping." Without warning, she whacked the tree trunk really hard with her hand and yelled "Wake up!" 

Jack looked around to make sure no one in the house heard. When he turned back, the tree was changed. It was not nearly as dark, and as he looked on it slowly began to grow brighter. The Goddess's eyes were aglow with this magical phenomenon. Every hue brighter sent Jack's heart pace faster. There was a slight cracking noise as the tree assumed a full and healthy color. Then an out of body voice said, "Oh, goodness, how long have I been asleep? It can't have been twenty years…" 

The next thing Jack knew, he was lying in his bed. Had it all been a dream? Hardly! He would never forget the ethereal floating of the Goddess as she approached him on the edge of the pond. She had awoken the Grape Spirit! Jack was elated. He had done something that Karen would love. She would never know that he'd done it, but just the thought of saving something so dear to her moved him beyond words. Outside, the world was still dark, and his clock said that it was 1:00 am. He wasn't the least bit tired. He got out of bed, and went outside onto his front porch. In his extreme glee, he took a dead run into the grass he had planted in spring. He jumped around and hollered underneath the bright moon and stars. He had never felt so happy or accomplished in his life. Even when he had completely cleared the entire field on his farm he wasn't as complete feeling. His dog came tromping over, alarmed by Jack's midnight craze. Jack plopped down in the grass and searched deep into the stars for one to wish on. The dog came over and curled up under his arm. And Jack wished. 

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This was a very short chapter, so I'll try to have the next one up real soon. Please keep reviewing!! Thanks to **Fairy Friend** for being an awesome reviewer (I'm going to make you like Karen if it's the last thing I do!! haha). I really like hearing what everyone thinks about my writing, it helps me improve! Thanks bunches :-D 


	8. Break Through

The rest of summer flew by in a blur of tomatoes, corn, blazing heat, and sand. He had visited Karen at the beach every Sunday of that hot month. She was slowly opening up to him, but their conversations hadn't breeched any inner subjects. They talked of swimming and fishing; the city and the festivals; friendly conversations. Jack had no complaints. He was able to talk to her without her snapping at him, and he loved it. He thought the more time he spent with her, the less her beauty would knock him over—but he was wrong. The closer he got to her, the more beautiful she became. In fact, the closer he came, the more beautiful life was. He no longer had any second thoughts about his choice to move to Flower Bud Village. His happiness was noticeable to his overall appearance. He was always smiling, and his face glowed. His heart was light, and he was more energetic. Harris and Zack had been trying to get him to confess his secret of happiness for weeks, but Jack knew better. He wanted to keep his and Karen's conversations to himself, at least until Kai wasn't in the picture anymore. Jack's happiness had even affected the other townspeople. Harris had finally confessed his feelings to Maria. Cliff had decided to stay in Flower Bud Village longer than he intended. Jack had also seen him over at Green Ranch a lot. Perhaps Ann could be happy with Cliff. 

All this bliss had carried Jack straight into fall. Fall was in full force; leaves were falling everywhere, Karen was busy harvesting grapes, Jack's eggplants were growing… and it was all a blur. Time was moving so fast, and Jack was scared that he wouldn't be able to keep up. Nevertheless, he kept positive, and lived for his and Karen's friendly chats on the beach. He had earned so much money from tomatoes and corn that he no longer had to worry. Time moved so fast when he began visiting Karen at the beach and he was oblivious to the pace it was going. He would look at his calendar and be amazed that it was already fall, when to him it still felt like spring. Every day he worked and every night he slept; that is, except for one fateful night in early fall. 

Jack had been working all day on the farm. The beauty of autumn was following down around him, and though his farm had one measly tree, it still managed to be covered in leaves. His first harvest of eggplants had grown and it took him nearly all day to get them all into the shipping bin. He had ninety individual plants and had forgotten to plant some a day late as he usually did so that he could avoid harvesting them all in one day. He tossed the last egg plant into the shipping bin just as Zack appeared on the farm. 

"I've got a lot for you, today," said Jack. 

"Well then I've got a lot of money for you!" said Zack. "So how are things going?" 

"Things are—well, they're going great." 

"Any particular reason why?" Zack gave a big grin. 

"Well—" Jack blushed. 

"I knew it! Who is she?!" Zack punched him in the shoulder, and Jack continued to grow red. He kept refusing to tell Zack who she was, and was surprised he didn't know. After all, he had questioned him about her at the flower festival, and then he was present at the drinking contest… 

"Anyone home?" Karen had walked onto his farm at the most ironic moment. Zack turned around quickly. 

"Well, hello, Miss Karen," he said. "I guess I'll be going now. Bye!" He gave a look of understanding to Jack, and took the crops. Jack wondered for a moment how he managed to carry all those eggplants. 

After Zack had left, Jack approached Karen. "Hey! What are you doing here so late?" Night had just fallen. Shouldn't she be at work? 

"The Kiefu Fairies are here, Jack!" she said excitedly. Jack looked at her with confusion. "When I was a little girl, they would come in early fall and bless the grapes, but they haven't been here for over twenty years!" 

Jack suddenly understood. The Grape Spirit must have attracted the Kiefu Fairies back, just like they had come when Karen's Grandmother was alive. 

"Anyway, in honor of their dance, I thought I could take you up on those dancing lessons." She flashed a wide, excited grin at him. 

He was amazed that she actually wanted to do something with _him_. "And what about Kai?" he asked, still questioning the one thing that was in his way. Why was she inviting him instead of Kai, anyway? 

"Like I said, Kai doesn't have to know." She grabbed his hand and they ran all the way to the vineyard. Jack was excited about the dancing. He would get to hold her body in his arms and look into her beautiful green eyes. And maybe then she could see him the way he saw her. 

At the vineyard, Jack saw beautiful balls of light dancing around the Grape Spirit's tree. They were beautifully silhouetted against the dark night sky. As he and Karen approached, he could see tiny fairy bodies laughing with glee as they danced into the grape vines. One swirled around their heads, and they laughed in unison. The fairies laughter turned to singing. 

"Come on!" Karen said, grabbing Jack's hand again and pulling him against her. He couldn't help but shudder. He put his arms around her, and she around him; and they danced. Jack didn't need Karen to teach him. He was caught up in the moment, and it seemed like he knew every step perfectly. He was pleased with himself when he noticed that Karen was impressed. They twirled and tapped to the fairies' song for almost half an hour until they both, laughing uncontrollably, plunged down into exhaustion. The fairies continued to sing, and Jack and Karen shared a gaze. Jack wanted desperately to kiss her, but he controlled himself. 

"I have a surprise," she said. "Wait here." She was up fast and ran into the big house on the other side of the vineyard. Jack remained laying on the ground with his elbows propping him up. The fairies were still dancing and singing. One tiny fairy came and perched on his hat. Jack smiled and tried to look up at it, though it was impossible to see it on top of his head. 

"You love her," the fairy giggled. Jack's smile vanished. 

"No," he shook his head. He didn't love her. It would be foolish to fall in love with her when she was so obviously tied to Kai. 

"You think it would be foolish to love her," said the Fairy. Jack was stunned. The fairy must be reading his mind. Did that mean she was reading his heart, too? "It's never foolish to love. You love her!" The fairy giggled and flew off to rejoin the other fairies. Jack thought about what it had said for a moment. Yes, deep inside his heart, beneath the layers of common sense in his brain, he did love her, and he knew it was wrong, no matter what the fairy said. He glanced over at the house and saw that Karen had emerged with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She sauntered over to him, and plopped down beside him. 

"You've got wine. Big surprise," Jack said teasing. 

"This isn't just any wine," she said. She blushed and continued, "I made this wine the other day with the grapes you gave me that night back in summer." She blushed deeper. 

"Wow," was all Jack could manage. He didn't think she had even noticed the grapes. She poured him a glass and then poured herself one. 

"They only fermented during summer, so the alcohol content isn't very high," she said taking a sip. 

"Good," Jack said, "I'm not going to pass out this time." 

They laughed and gulped down the wine. A moment later, Karen pulled out a camera, snapped a shot of them in front of the fairies, and promised to send him a copy soon. They spent the rest of the time talking. The night was theirs and they stayed watching the beautiful fairies dance under the moonlight. It was truly a perfect evening. 

"Is it coincidence that this is your first year here and the first year the fairies have come back?" Karen asked softly. 

Jack said nothing. He just looked into the mass of dancing fairies and sipped on his wine. He wasn't going to tell Karen that it was because of him that the fairies had come back. He preferred her to just think that they came back out of faith for the glorious old vineyard. Or maybe just to see her eyes. 

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I know this chapter is pretty short, but the next one is longer, I promise! I hope the turn of events doesn't anger you Karen haters too much. Just pretend her name is "Kari," and that she isn't the "evil" Harvest Moon character you think she is!! Haha! Much love to my reviewers... 


	9. Post Festival Blues

I realized last night that I had blocked anonymous reviews. I had no idea I had them blocked, so I'm sorry if you wanted to review and were unable to. I unblocked them, so have at it! On to the chapter! 

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The Harvest Festival took place a few days after Karen and Jack's night at the vineyard. Cakes were passed out to the men of the town and whoever's had a coin would become next year's Harvest King. The ritual passed quickly and Gray won the title. Jack didn't so much mind. It was his first year in Flower Bud Village after all. What came next was very awkward for Jack. The couples' song was about to play and Jack didn't have a soul to ask. Cliff scooped up Ann before Jack had a chance to ask her. Jack's heart was set with Karen, though, so a dance with Ann would just be friendly. Jack found Karen across the mess of people to see her looking haggard. Kai had his arms around her, and by the look on her face, Jack could see that she was about fed up with him. The sight of her so uncomfortable made him sad, and he wished he could go invite her to dance. They'd had such a great connection that night with the fairies, but Karen didn't seem to notice. The music began playing and Kai dragged her onto the dance floor. She looked so unhappy. Why did she stay with him if she was so unhappy? They were dancing close, and Karen's head was lying on his shoulder. She still looked very sad. Jack began imagining what it would've been like if it was him and her dancing. They would've been the life of the party—laughing, smiling. Everyone would've radiated around them trying to capture their happiness. Jack came back to reality to see that Karen had caught his gaze. It looked almost like she had tears in her eyes, but she smiled anyway, and lifted a delicate hand to wave to him. Jack smiled, but couldn't manage a wave. His heart ached. Ever since he realized how much he really did care, it had been like this. He couldn't stand the thought of her with someone else and the fact that he might never have a chance to show her how much he loved her. He kept her gaze for a moment, and suddenly realizing how out of place and inconvenient he felt, he stood up and left the festival, with his head hung. 

He walked through the empty town, the music of the festival still echoing off the buildings. He didn't know where to go. He didn't want to go home. He felt like a drink, but even the bar would be closed on a festival day. So he headed to the only place that he felt would comfort him. 

The sounds of the festival even reached the beach. Each note in the music was like a hammer to his heart. How did he ever get himself into this situation? One day the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen walked onto his farm, and the next minute he was in love with her. It made no sense. He'd dated girls before, but none of them had the same effect over him. There was something—something almost indescribable about Karen. She seemed so raw. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind. The girls he'd dated in the city were concerned with money and charm. He'd never experienced a relationship with anyone who didn't care that he wasn't well off in either of those departments. While Karen wanted to keep to herself at first, he found that when she started talking about something she loved, she wouldn't stop talking. And there was that excited twinkle that played in her green eyes. Everything about her was genuine, nothing was counterfeit. If she loved something you could tell, and if she hated it, that was just as easy to see. 

He wrapped his arms around his knees as he let the sea breeze carry his mind to the past. He remembered one past, hot summer afternoon; his father took him to the city to cheer him up. It was three days after the death of his mother. He and his father never talked much, really; it was always his mother that kept the bond between them. When she died, what she tried so long to hold together shattered. That afternoon in the city was when Jack realized that he and his father had never been close, and, while he cared, his father could never be there like his mother had been. Jack lost all faith in love when she died. He moved to the city, lived in a hole in the wall, and changed. For six months he wasted away in that slum of an apartment. Then another death hit him; his grandpa, whose farm he used to visit when he was young. Though he was deeply saddened by this, Jack took it as an opportunity. A fresh start. He could wipe the slate clean, forget his father and mother and the city. And three months from Grandpa's death, Jack had moved in to find a farm that didn't resemble his memories at all. There were rocks all over the place and dead tree stumps; sadness floated in the air. Upon seeing that, Jack had a new goal. He would bring the farm back to life. He couldn't bring his mother back, nor his Grandpa, but he could revive this farm. Through the back-breaking first season, Jack worked his fingers nearly to the bone. 

Enter Karen. 

He had no idea this would happen. He compared how empty he was at the beginning of the year and how fulfilled he felt now, a mere two seasons later. All because of a love that would remain nothing more than a friendship; a love that he couldn't even put into words. It was ironic that he was so happy to be around her, but at the same time it pierced his heart. He had to stop seeing her. He felt it was the only solution because the closer he got to her, the more it would hurt him. He knew she would eventually marry Kai. How would he feel when that happened? There would be no more visits at the beach. There would be no more drinking games at the bar. In passing he would have to inquire about how they were doing. He concluded it would be much better to just let her go now. Save him the trouble of hearing about the engagement from Karen's mouth. That beautiful mouth which always had a devilish grin on its lips. Oh, how he wished he could show her how much he loved her. 

The sea wind blew his hat off his head, and he ran his fingers through the brown locks on his head. It was the first time in his life that he felt like he could cry. These thoughts of losing his mother and his Grandpa, and now being forced to give up on Karen, the first girl to make him feel real. He reached behind him, keeping his eyes facing the sinking sun, and picked up his hat. He went to put it back on. 

"Leave it off," said a voice from behind him. It was Karen. Who else could it have been? 

"Oh, but it's my lucky hat," said Jack with much sarcasm and little heart. 

"Looks better off." She snatched it from his hands as she sat down beside him. He stifled a laugh but didn't smile. "Whatcha thinking about?" 

"My crops," he lied. 

There was a moment of silence. "You're a terrible liar." She handed his hat back to him. 

"You have no idea." He took it, still not looking at her. He was afraid to face her, though he didn't know why. 

"I feel like dancing," she said. "Wanna join me?" 

He softly shook his head. The thought of dancing with her reminded him of the dance they did share. It was now or never. He had to let her go. 

"Ah, you're no fun," she said, getting up and starting to dance by herself. Jack listened to her feet hitting the sand, and imagined her body gliding gracefully and her hair flowing out behind her. 

"I can't do this anymore," he said. It was hard to find the words, but he managed this much. He heard her feet stop moving. 

"Do what?" she asked, breathless. 

Jack stood up, and looked at her. "This." He motioned to her, him, and the beach. Karen looked at him pretending she had no idea what he was talking about. "I just can't—" he began, but couldn't think of how to say it. "You—Kai—" He shook his head and put his hands up in front of him, like he was trying to stop something coming at him. Squinting, he said, "I just can't be a part of this anymore. It hurts too much." 

He saw her face before he turned and left. It wasn't the face of someone who was stunned or confused. It was a look of loss. When he got home, he saw the picture of them tacked up on his calendar from that night with the fairies. He could never tear it up, no matter how much he felt like it. Instead, he tucked it into his night stand drawer, along with the mysterious letter from earlier that year. A small tear fell from his eye—the first one he'd let fall in his entire life. 

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I thought I should go ahead and update before I go out of town for the weekend. I have an audition for a theatrical arts summer thing. Blah. Anyhow, all the awesome reviews I got made me feel all "warm and gooshy" inside. Thanks a lot to every one of my reviewers! You all rock very, very much! I'm a busy little bird, but I'll try to check out some of your stories and tell you what I think! Thanks again! Only two more chapters!!! *tear* haha ^_^ 


	10. Happy Birthday

Jack became a recluse. He stayed on his farm day in and day out, only venturing out to buy more eggplants in fall, and to chop wood during the winter afternoons that followed. Once, he had run into Karen and Kai in the mountains. He tried to avoid them. He knew he didn't want to talk to them. So he continued to chop wood, flinging the axe in the air, trying to show his muscles and act as though he hadn't noticed their presence. They walked closer and Kai said hello. Jack said a greeting without looking at them, and then went back to chopping.

The only other contact he had with people during that lonely time was with Zack when he came to take the crops, and with the carpenters in the mountain who he had gotten house extensions from. He'd installed a kitchen, a bathroom, and a log terrace. He didn't even go to festivals. He didn't get any cake during the Thanksgiving Festival, he'd declined to race his animals, and he'd spent the Star Night festival on the terrace with his dog, thinking that Karen and Kai were probably at the beach holding each other to keep warm. That night was the first time he'd let himself freely wonder about her. The lonely Sundays without her killed him, but he forced himself to keep her out of his mind. But that night on the Star Night festival he got to thinking. Karen's birthday was coming up in a few days, and despite how much it would hurt him to see her, he wanted to thank her for their short friendship. As much as she was hurting him now, he was glad that she had opened him up to love. He knew the perfect gift.

Luckily, her birthday just happened to fall on a Sunday. It was the next to the last day of the year. It was interesting that he would be bringing a close to their relationship at the same time the year would be ending. He arrived at the beach early in the morning to make sure everything was prepared for her arrival. He had emptied his pocket to do this for her. All the money he made over the year that was left after his house extensions had gone into this, and he felt it was worthy. He'd never had such an ingenious plan in his life. A few hours passed before she arrived.

Karen stepped onto the snow covered sand to see Jack standing there, seemingly waiting for her. "Jack?" she asked, confused to see him. He smiled.

"Hi," he said.

"Where's your hat?" she asked, as if no time had passed since the last time they had playfully talked.

He smiled wider. "Someone told me I looked better without it." There was a moment of silence. "Happy Birthday," he said.

"Thanks," she said. She looked over at the dock to see a boat anchored on the end of it. "What's this?"

"That," he said, "is my present to you."

She looked a little confused, and sardonically asked, "You got me a boat?"

He laughed. "No, I couldn't afford the boat. I just rented it-to take us to the city for the day."

She was stunned. "Are you serious?" 

Jack nodded. She smiled wider and jumped in excitement. Before Jack could say anything, she had thrown herself onto him in a hug, repeatedly thanking him. Jack remembered how she felt to hold that night in fall. This day would be another memory to add to his collection. When she pulled away from the hug, Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the dock.

The boat broke through the waves, and the look on Karen's face was priceless. She watched Flower Bud Village grow smaller and smaller in the distance, and looked around her at nothing but sea. She was quite clearly amazed.

"I've never been to the city, Jack," she said with a tone of wonder.

"What?" he said surprised, and laughed. "I thought you _loved _the city."

She laughed back. "I just assumed I would. Thank you so much for this, Jack. You have no idea what this means to me." 

_Sure_, he thought sarcastically.

A mere forty-five minutes or so passed, and they arrived at the very city Jack had escaped from a year ago. Memories flooded back to him. Days of emptiness as he would pass his time like a robot-wake up, go to work, eat dinner, sleep. He didn't have to think about anything during that time in his life, nor did he want to. It was the seemingly perfect way to deal with the death of his mother. As he arrived in the harbor and helped Karen out of the boat, he knew that he had never _really_ dealt with that loss. Seeing the sky scrapers, the busy streets, the many different people, reminded him of his vacant existence here. He had dealt with all his sadness, unknowingly, by allowing himself to love Karen.

Their first stop in the city was the park. Karen was enamored by it. She called it a little patch of heaven. Standing by the center fountains allowed you to see every sky scraper in the city. It was nearing lunch time, so Jack took Karen to a hot dog vendor on the edge of the park.

"I know it's nothing amazing," he said, excitedly, "but you have no idea just how good these hot dogs are."

Karen just smiled. She sat on a bench under a tree, admiring her surroundings even more, while Jack went to purchase the hot dogs. When they finally sunk their teeth into them, Jack remembered how he would stop by this same stand on his break at work when he lived here. Karen was very pleased with them. She was, in fact, impressed that something so cheap could taste so delicious.

As they walked down the city streets, Jack was sure he never saw Karen look anywhere but up. She was clearly stunned by the height of the buildings. He took her to an art museum which conveniently had a display on the history of dance. Karen was floored by it, and looked at it for half an hour. She would've probably stayed longer if Jack hadn't pulled her away from it. They window shopped, and Karen insisted that they go to a wine tasting. They tasted sweet wines and dry wines; tropical and traditional. Afterward they skimmed the rack of select wines, ones that were not easy to find and not cheap. They were just running through the names when Karen stopped and stared open mouthed at one. Jack bent over to read the label. It said "Door to Heaven."

"Beautiful name," Jack said. He pulled it out of the rack and read the date. It had a date that was about twenty-three years in the past.

"That's my Grandmother's wine," Karen said, stunned. She grabbed it from his hands and continued to rub her fingers over the label. "I'm going to buy it."

"No, you're not," Jack said. "It's your birthday. I will buy it for you."

And he did so happily. After they ate dinner at a very nice restaurant, and danced a little in its ballroom, Jack had one surprise left for her. They arrived at the highest building in the city, and took the elevator to the very top. On the roof, sight was for miles. In every direction they looked, there were lights flickering on and off in the other buildings of the city. The sky was clear and the stars were visible.

"I used to come here to think," he said as the city winds caught his hair. He still wasn't used to going around without his hat. 

"I can see why," she said, leaning over the edge to peer down the side of the building. There was a silence that was filled with only the whistle of the wind. Jack didn't know what to say to Karen. This would be the last meaningful moment they would share together. After this night, he was going to go back to his secluded state. He would make millions on the farm, that's for sure. Slowly, but surely, he would ease back into town life; he would do so when he knew his feelings for Karen had faded away as much as they could. Then maybe he would call up one of those city girls, tell them of his new found wealth, and get married. It wouldn't be happy, but it would be something stable.

"You know what Kai got me for my birthday?" Karen asked, turning to him. He had been standing behind her, peering up at the sky, as she leaned over the side to watch the people walking below.

He shook his head. He didn't want to know. He didn't want to hear anything about Kai.

"He got me a bottle of sparkling grape juice and told me to quit drinking," she said, laughing.

Jack laughed a little. He saw no reason in her telling him this, besides to further his disdain for Kai. "And the moral of this story?" he asked.

Karen shied away. "This past month has been terrible, Jack," she said, seriously.

He looked away and remained silent for a moment. "I don't want to talk about that," he said, walking away from her.

"I missed you, Jack," she said delicately. "I missed you more than I would've missed anyone else."

He stopped walking, but still did not turn around. "I'm sure you missed me when you weren't with him," he said severely. What a time for his inner anger to come out. The last time he would talk to her, and she was pressing his buttons.

"No. I missed you when I was with him," she continued. "I realized that Kai and I had dated for almost a year, and nothing had ever been exciting with him."

"Shut up!" Jack said, with a catch in his voice. He was holding his face in his hands. He didn't want to yell at her, and he didn't want to shed tears in front of her. Both were about to happen. "I don't want to hear anything about him and you. Don't you know I've liked you?" He didn't want to say love. He thought it would make him seem vulnerable. The feelings and memories that had been surging through his mind the entire day were about to boil over.

"That's just it, Jack!" She wasn't going to stop. "I realized when you left, so did anything I ever felt for Kai. I never loved him."

He'd gone his whole life without a tear until _she'd_ come into it with her sneaky grin and her soft green eyes. She'd come in and messed up everything. He was perfectly fine before she showed up on his farm. If only she hadn't been with Ann the day they came to offer him a horse. He could've been happy with Ann.

How could he blame this on her? He'd been the one who pursued her. He was the one who wouldn't "go away" or "leave her alone." He was the one who pushed their friendly relationship as far as he could.

"Well, I'm sorry if it's my fault that you don't love him," he said accusingly. For a moment he wanted to run; run to the exit door and out into the streets of the city. He wanted to escape into that robot existence where he wasn't programmed to think or care.

"It is your fault in a way," Karen said defensively. He let a sigh run through his tall frame as he turned around to face her. There was a tear on his cheek. He'd tried so hard to keep it in, but he couldn't. He felt betrayed and lost. How could it possibly be his fault? Again he thought about leaving her there, on the roof. If she would blame her apparently failed relationship with Kai on him, then he might as well just leave. "It's your fault because I was too busy falling in love with you to make any room for Kai."

He was silent. The moment was unforgettable to him, but he ignored the happiness that was welling up inside him. Looking into those eyes of hers, he knew what she said was true, but he chose not to believe. "You're just saying that because you're face to face with me now," he said. He'd spent so much time trying to convince himself that she would never love him and that he needed to move on. He _wouldn't_ believe in anything different. He had taken comfort in the fact that his next few months would again be reclusive.

"No! I've never had anyone do something like this for me," she said, motioning to the city around them. "I've never known anyone that made me feel as good as you do." She looked helpless. Jack just stared at her forcing the smile off of his face. He wanted so much to just let it happen. He wanted to smile and then live happily ever after, but it was all happening so fast that he didn't believe that it was real. He'd dreamed about her loving him so many times; how did he know this wasn't a dream too? The next thing she did, however, was something that was never in his dreams.

"Well, if you won't believe what I tell you," she said, taking a step closer, "then I'll show you." She made a quick motion, grabbed his face in her hands, and kissed him. He couldn't fight it anymore. He let himself go and kissed her back. He had only imagined this during lonely winter nights; never did he think it would ever happen. He wrapped his arms around her as he pulled away from her face.

"You do love me," he said, quietly, a smile forming on his lips. He'd felt a tiny spark go through them as their lips met, and that made it true for him. That made it true for both of them.

The smile on her face was as big and excited as he'd ever seen it. It wasn't that small, secretive grin, but a big, honest beam. "I told you," she said.

They held each other close. Before this night, it was a rarity that he would hold her. It was ironic that he could now hold her whenever he wanted. Or he thought.

"I know you get tired of hearing this question, but what about Kai?" he asked.

"That ended a while ago," she whispered, recalling the moment it had happened. She'd been with Kai and seen Jack in the woods. Her heart ached for him, then, and not for Kai. She squeezed Jack tighter. "It feels so good to hold you."

He smiled. They kissed again, laughed, and began to dance into the night.

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Sorry it's taken me so long to get this up! I've been sick/bummed the past few days. Anyway, what'd you guys think? There will be one last chapter, a sort of epilogue, to sum things up, and to give insite into the future of Jack and Karen. Thanks for the multitude of reviews!! Every single one of them! To whoever said they loved Kai, I love Kai too! I love all the characters in Harvest Moon, but to have a story about them, there had to be some kind of conflict, so Kai, being the "other man" got the brunt of it. Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews!! Keep 'em comin! 


	11. Good Night

They were married in mid-spring. The town was stunned to see them wedded so soon, as their meetings had been so secretive. The ceremony was beautiful, as was Karen in her flowing wedding dress. Zack had never seen Jack as happy as he was that day, and he was glad that he had finally found her. After the wedding was over, Jack carried Karen all the way to his farm, explaining that the groom always carried his bride over the threshold. She said it was ridiculous, but Jack could tell in her eyes that she enjoyed the attention. When they were home, Jack told her to wait in the house for just a moment while he watered his crops. 

"What kind of man postpones his wedding night to water plants?" she teased, flashing that devilish grin that always made him melt. 

He blushed. "A patient one," he said, giving her a peck on the lips, and running out the front door. 

Karen looked around at the little log cabin that would be her new home. It wasn't anything special, but she didn't care. Jack and her living there together was special enough. She tossed herself onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She continued to look around the room, and when she peered over at his night stand, she saw a piece of paper falling out of the drawer. She reached for it out of curiosity and pulled it out of the drawer. Jack burst through the door at that precise moment. 

"All done," he said eagerly, then saw Karen holding the piece of paper. 

Her eyes twinkled. "You still have this?" she asked in wonder. 

He went over and sat down beside her, and she handed the piece of paper over. It was the mysterious letter from so long ago. "You wrote this?" he asked. 

She closed her eyes, and lay back on the bed. "Yep. It was the nicest thing I had ever done to someone I didn't know. I was too embarrassed to even sign it." 

He smiled, tossed the letter behind him, not caring where it landed, and settled next to his wife. 

Jack had come such a long way in one year. He had been up and down, and tossed around, but he finally felt stable now. In his city days, he had no idea girls like Karen existed, or that he would marry one. All he knew then was that he had no feelings, therefore he didn't have to miss his mother, or wish that he and his father were closer. But then Jack loved Karen, a feeling worthy of having, and his love for her opened his heart to finally miss his mother and repair his and his father's relationship. It would seem that this was a perfect ending to a bad time, but for Jack and Karen, it was merely the beginning… 

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Well, that's all folks! I really hope you enjoyed it. Thanks a TON to all my reviewers!!! It means a lot to me to know that so many people have enjoyed my writing. As of now, I will probably write another fanfic, I just don't know when. My inspiration is random ^_^ I don't know about a sequel either, but I left room for one if there are a lot of people who are interested. Thanks again! It's been fun!!! 


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